Sao Paulo Apartment Tour: Paula Passini
I love sharing photos of places that inspire me--and I think it's even more fun when they are homes from different countries. It's so interesting to see how other cultures decorate! For example (although I'm probably generalizing way too much), Scandinavian homes are usually more spare and modern, with lots of white, black, and natural woods, while British homes are usually cozier, with more florals, lace, and vintage details. On the other hand, with the internet and the availability of inspiration these days, decorating styles are becoming less area-specific. Many people (myself included) like to blend lots of different styles into their home--a modern Danish nightstand next to a luxe French upholstered bed...why not?! I have to admit, I don't know much about the Brazilian design, so when Bruna Lourenço and Paula Passini (two interior designers from Sao Paulo) sent me this apartment tour, I was really excited. The apartment is actually Paula's own home...a light and bright space with lots of natural textures, indoor plants, and a boho vibe. It's gorgeous!
When Paula and her husband Pedro bought this apartment, the structure was in a bad shape--after all, the building is from the 60’s. A lot of things needed to be changed, but what really caught their attention were the huge windows that go from wall to wall in almost every room. In Paula's words, "Nothing beats the pleasure of having breakfast in a sun-filled space." So to emphasize natural lighting, Paula removed most of the walls in the living area, creating an open kitchen and airy spaces.
Since they were already changing and breaking stuff, the couple decided to replace the tiles and repaint everything – and during the process they discovered a brick wall behind the sofa. What a nice surprise!
The renovation was so intense that Paula had spent almost all her budget before buying the furniture. She improvised with DIY projects, like the pallet coffee table, tables and armchairs inherited from her parents and in-laws and a few new pieces. To forget Sao Paulo’s concrete jungle, the couple tried to create a home inspired by nature and the beach, putting comfort before anything else.
I'm so inspired by this apartment, and now I feel like I need to see more homes from Brazil! Which works out pretty well, since Bruna and Paula have their own blog, Histórias de Casa (House Tales), all about real homes in Sao Paulo. I started scrolling through it yesterday and loved it so far, so I'll have to spend a little more time diving in over the weekend. Obviously, there are a lot of stylish people in Sao Paulo!
One of my favorite details in the apartment is this wooden hand model, holding up the light. It reminds me of college...I studied Industrial Design and had one of these. I don't know what happened to it, but now I want to get another one and do something similar! So cute.
What's your favorite detail of this home? Do you like looking at homes from other countries? And if so, do you feel like you can tell a difference, or do you think that interior design is blending together to the point where there isn't really that much geographical distinction anymore? I'm curious!
All photos by Histórias de Casa.
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